★★★★★ 0/5

21 years for Summer Bay

Home & Away cast members past and present celebrated their long reign as the country's top 'flamin' serial drama.

15
Leave a comment

ray-meagherIt first aired on January 17th 1988 but it was this week that past and present cast members from Home And Away celebrated their 21st Anniversary with a network bash.

“Home And Away is the most financially successful product in the history of the Seven Network,” said Ray ‘flamin’ Meagher.

“Artistically some people might argue.”

Former cast members including Justin Melvey, Emily Symons and Nicolle Dickson returned to join the current cast, along with radio competition winners at Sydney’s Cargo Bar.

Meagher admitted in the first few months the show wasn’t expected to survive.

“Now, we are knocking on the door of 5000 episodes,” he said.

The show has become a model of in-house productions at Seven, paving the way for many to follow including All Saints, Packed to the Rafters and City Homicide. It has given rise to numerous acting careers, including several now working in the USA.

This year the show has been wrapped in controversy with its ‘lesbian kiss’ and the personal trials of actress Jodi Gordon. It also dropped in the ratings against MasterChef Australia, and despite a loss to Neighbours on one night last week, is already showing signs of a return.

And happy birthday too to Yabbie Creek.

Source: news.com.au

15 Responses

  1. @ Sofie Fan – Harold was never in H & A.

    It has done very well. Many other shows have come and gone and this one still keeps going.

    Congratulations H & A.

  3. people often bag the quality of its acting, but look how many ex-H&A stars have gone on to bigger and better things, including Hollywood.. anyone care to make a list?

  4. Hats off to Home & Away. Whereas Neighbours has fallen off, H&A is still going strong – 5 nights a week for 21 years and it still averages over a million viewers. No matter what you think of the show, that is no easy feat. Not for a drama. Well done.

  5. this has been a great show for a long time. at least it’s still going strong, you cant say the same for neighbours. by the time neighbours reached it’s 21st year. the writing was on the wall and it was about time it got the a**e

  8. It is an excellent show.

    I haven’t watched in a while as I work the rest of the week they screen it but do occassionally try and fit in a Monday Night Episode.

    Off the topic how does Nine Sleep at Night knowing that a 21 year old show will outrate a recycled comedy with Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer?

    I

  9. sorry David i forgot that no links were allowed so if anyone wants to see the pilot episode go to youtube and type in home and away pilot episode part 1

    by the way if i ever moved i sure as hell wouldnt move to summer bay it must be the most dangerous place to live if a stalker or bomber dosent get yout then any natrual disaster known to man would

  10. home and away was great for the first 8 years or so but i cant stand it now if you want to relive what started the sensation that is home and away then click on the check the 90 minute pilot episode on YouTube

  12. Is this the most-watched Australian soap? Yes we know of Australia, NZ, UK etc., but include “remote” places like Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Solomons, Nauru, Fiji, India, Pakistan, etc.

  13. it is amazing how quickly H&A returned to it’s 1.3’s after MC. this is one strong little show. the publicity wasn’t even that big.

    i wonder how many huge high-budget competitors has it brushed off its shoulders over the 21 years?

  15. good on them, on a bad night, it gets 1.1m viewers (even against masterchef) and on a good night it gets about 1.4m..great figures for a 21 year old show…while its not everyones cup of tea, many actors that have gone on to bigger and better things have had their start in ‘the bay’, not to mention the countless jobs it provides to the TV industry in this country..oh, and im guessing Bobby ‘meat puppet’ Morley wasnt invited to the party!

Leave a Reply